Chapter 5

I assumed we’d find out what fate awaited us in my parents’ bedroom, where they discussed it privately. It would only be even more humiliating to hear what my parents decided in front of Ethan and Nick. I knew that they wouldn’t suddenly realize they had been tricked and decide we were innocent.

I prepared myself for the inevitable outcome of receiving a punishment equal to what they believed we had done: for intentionally wrecking our laundry machines and ruining our clothes, for the hidden sex toys and naughty panties, the cigarettes and booze, and masturbating and flashing for passing truckers.

I accepted that whatever they decided couldn’t be harsh enough for girls who had really done all of these things, while their parents were out working to provide for them.

As I walked away from the kitchen, I imagined a condemned prisoner’s feelings while walking toward the gallows. I even placed my hands behind my back, feeling like an inmate.

“Oh, we are doing this in the living room?” Holly stopped in the living room when she saw my father sitting like a judge, imperious in his reclining chair facing us.

Ethan and Nick were sitting on the couch, like two members of a kangaroo court jury waiting to see us found guilty.

“We decided the punishment together, but Ethan and Nick should hear this because it affects them as well, and we can answer any questions they may have as well,” he said.

I hoped that by “affect my brothers,” it meant “included them,” but I was not optimistic.

“Girls, we spent a long time deliberating what to do about today. Much more time than we should have spent. I have to work tomorrow, and this should be the time I relax in my home, stress-free. Instead, I am here having what may be the most uncomfortable discussion of my life with you.”

That did not bode well. I stood there and listened while Holly took her seat next to Dad and faced us. We remained standing, me with my hands behind my back and my sister standing casually.

My father started by telling us this was not a negotiation. Everything was already decided, set in stone, and the only alterations would be by him and our mother. He warned us both that he wasn’t going to tolerate any arguments. He promised us that it would be easier for us just to accept their decisions and not argue.

“There is no easy way to say this, so I’ll just come out with it. You should be punished for what you did. When we add up the booze, the cigarettes, the panties, and even if we subtract the normal sibling rivalry stuff of he-said/she-said and bickering, there has to be consequences. Do you agree?”

This was going to be an INTERACTIVE discussion? I wished Dad would just come right out with it and tell us what we had to do. It would probably only prolong this experience and allow my brothers an opportunity to gloat. They looked almost detached, as if they were unaware of our presence. I suspected that had to be an act to throw off suspicion. If Ethan and Nick started taunting us and cracking up, I might stand a chance for my parents to rethink the entire punishment.

I had already resolved to do whatever I was told and just take my lumps. I’d only make it worse by trying to negotiate or be defiant. I wasn’t sure what I would do if they wanted me to admit to the things I was accused of doing. I wouldn’t have put it past my dad to offer me some choice between a harsh punishment or just admitting I did these things.

I wanted to maintain my innocence, but I also knew that at this stage, I had already been found guilty by my parents.

The wild card in all of this was Joy. She seemed almost giddy while we were alone, as if she was unaware this was coming. It could be her youthful optimism, or the fact that she hadn’t thought too much about how much hot water we were in, but she had refused to stand up for me the day before and tell the truth. I wondered if she might say something to get us in even bigger trouble without thinking it through. I no longer suspected my sister of any malice or double-dealing with Ethan. It just wasn’t in her to betray me.

She either thought she’d make the situation worse by speaking up, or she was afraid and confused and thought silence was the best approach. I had forgiven her, but I still wasn’t sure how she’d react to what we were about to hear.

“As I said, ladies,” my father reiterated something he had been talking about that I missed. “I am telling you this as a father, and what I am about to tell you is advice. Answer our questions, accept our decisions, and do not offer any justification or defense in the hopes that it will change our decision. Cooperate, be honest, and behave throughout your restriction, and your situation will improve. Do anything else, and your situation will get worse.”

If anything, Dad did me a favor, because offering justifications and arguing the punishments would (and probably should) make everything worse for us. If Joy takes that advice to heart, then most of my fears about her saying the wrong thing at the wrong time would not happen.

Standing naked in the middle of the living room and listening to him and my mother speak from their easy chairs made me feel like a peasant standing before their King and Queen, trembling in the great hall. I was surprised that Ethan and Nick never cracked a smile. It was like they had learned how to make poker faces and not give any emotions away.

On the one hand, it was great not to hear the boys tease me and their tittering laughter. On the other, it meant that my parents wouldn’t see either of them as instigators.

“This is not a negotiation, it’s not a barter session. We aren’t here to listen to what you did and did not do, there will be no fingers pointed, no telling us you didn’t do these things and we are being unfair. Your mother and I have never imagined ourselves in this situation with you girls. Mary, most of all, you. I am surprised and disappointed. If it was a mistake or lapse of judgment, it was spread out over a long time leading up to today. There will be no justifications that you can offer that will alter our decision tonight. We won’t be influenced by anything you say today, unless you refuse to cooperate and abide by our decisions. You won’t like what happens then.”

“Yes, father,” we both mumbled. “Alright, that’s progress. You both did real monetary damage to this house. I have no idea what it will cost to fix our washer and dryer, but to replace all of those clothes is going to cost me, at a time when I don’t have the money, and you’ll need an entirely new set of school clothes. You both have no money, and yet you managed to purchase cigarettes, alcohol, toys, and specialty panties, but you have explained the source of those funds. Do either of you want to own up to that before we start handing out the punishments?”

Dad implied it would go better on us if we did. I briefly considered trying to make up a lie in the hopes of some clemency, but I kept my mouth shut, and so did Joy.

“That’s disappointing. That was one piece of this complex jigsaw puzzle I was hoping to find. As long as you have that source of income, or someone buying it for you, or you are stealing, that means you may have access to those same types of items again. I never want you to bring those types of things into my house again, but your word right now doesn’t mean a lot. If you are caught with anything during your restriction, we are going to reassess how effective it is and probably extend it for a LONG time.”

Restriction actually sounded good, considering the alternatives. I didn’t have access to much for them to restrict, and the boys monopolized the only television that wasn’t in my parents’ room.

“This punishment comes from both of us, and your mother and I will enforce it and change it if it doesn’t work. We both came to this conclusion, so I don’t want either of you to think it was solely my or your mother’s decision. We arrived here jointly.

“Your restriction lasts until January 1st; we decided that new year, new you. That doesn’t mean you are out of the woods on January 1st. Depending on how well you behave, we may remove all the restrictions, or we may have to keep some in place until we can trust you again. Mary and Joy, you only have ONE currency with me. That currency is trust, and when you use it up like you have, you have nothing. You have to earn it all over again, and you are starting from a deficit.”

I loved how my father was so well-spoken. He enjoyed being a park ranger, but he was once a high school teacher. I was impressed with his eloquence. It was just early December, and that meant we had a little under a month of restriction. I didn’t think the time frame was unfair, given the circumstances. A week would have made me feel we got off lucky.

I could also tell that from Holly’s perspective, turning over a new leaf in the new year was significant. She recently made self-deprecating jokes about looking forward to starting new diets and exercise routines in the new year, only to never actually stick with them. “It’s always so rewarding every year to go to the craft store, buy a trunk load of crafting supplies, only to stick them on a shelf, forgetting about the hobby I said I was going to do until the following year when I do it all over again. It’s going to make a heck of a yard sale one day!” she had said in sunnier times.

My mom was actually quite the craftsperson. I had always wanted to learn to sew and be handy, and it seemed like she knew how to make all sorts of home crafts. She said she picked it up every year when she started a new hobby, just before forgetting about it a few months later.

Holly was also on the chubby side. She frequently joked about the “best intentions” diet. “I pick the latest diet, buy all the books, get all the food, study, and find out it tastes like mush, and go back to Southern food the way I’ve always made it.”

I reflected upon how little I truly knew about my mother. She’d only married my father recently, and while they were dating, I never got to hang out with her very much. She worked so much that we only saw each other at night. I regretted that now she would believe we were capable of everything we had been accused of doing. I couldn’t fault her for thinking the worst of us. She had so little to go on.

I couldn’t fault my father, either. Joy and I had never been in real trouble before. Joy had bad grades, and a few times she skipped school, but neither of us were a troublemaker. He knew I was bookish and shy, but given what happened the night before and today, he concluded that my behavior required teaching me a hard lesson. He made it abundantly clear that he was reluctant to punish us, but he felt he had no choice because any less of a response would be a tacit approval on his part.

I knew some of the things he was saying were really meant just for me and probably went over my sister’s head. I planned to talk to her after this was all over and reassure her that I believe Mom and Dad really love us, and they aren’t ogres. They are being as fair as they can while handing out justice that fits the actions that they felt certain we had done.

“Now, this is the part that I am not really comfortable talking about.”

Dad seemed reluctant to tell us the punishment. My mom volunteered to tell us what we had to do, but Dad insisted he be the one to do it.

“Your mother and I feel that how you are dressed right now is how you shall remain.”

The impact of that statement was like a ton of bricks dropping from the sky and flattening me. I felt its weight in the pit of my stomach, and my jaw fell open. I couldn’t see Joy’s expression, but her body language suggested that she couldn’t believe it either.

“I see from your expression that you didn’t expect that.”

Dad seemed relieved, as if he hoped we’d feel it like a freight train running us over. “You will obviously be issued clothes when appropriate, but right now, we don’t have any for you. It may just be an old shirt of mine until your mother can take you shopping.”

Dad stopped and asked if we had any questions before he continued.

“Is there more?” I asked.

“A whole lot more,” Holly replied.

That ton of bricks that dropped on me just had another eight tons of bricks fall on top of it with me underneath. I assumed that spending Christmas and my birthday for an entire month totally nude was the EXTENT of our punishment. I couldn’t imagine how they could do more.

“You will be on work detail from now on. We are going to reduce the bickering between you and your brothers. Your brothers will have their assignments during the day, and you two will have yours.”

That didn’t sound so bad. I could handle that. It was like that now.

“Work detail begins at 6 a.m. and lasts all day,” Dad began. That sounded bad.

“There is nothing wrong with hard work, so in addition to the normal chores you have been doing we will be assigning you some duties that your mom and I have been doing, as compensation for the extra supervision you will require over the next month. These duties may continue after the restriction is lifted. We don’t have a laundry machine any longer; you will be washing everybody else’s clothes and drying them by hand.”

That sounded bad, too.

“Your mother liked how you helped set the table, allowing her to enjoy her meal in peace, so we are going to add the duties of setting the table by yourselves, clearing it, washing up, and getting people refills for their drinks; replacement forks if they drop them; and anything the table needs, like butter. You will be eating at the counter. We haven’t decided yet, but obviously, considering your lack of clothes, you aren’t to sit at the dining room table or on any of the living room furniture.”

I imagined that Ethan and Nick would be straining to hide their tittering laughter, but instead, they remained completely expressionless.

“You can obviously sit Indian style on the carpet, but you won’t be watching television, playing video games, using laptops, cell phones, or reading books—unless the book is approved by one of us and it is read in the living room.”

That wasn’t entirely bad. I could probably handle that. It sounded like that might be the extent of it.

“I am going to remove the hinges from your bedroom door. We can no longer trust you not to hide things in your room, and since you won’t be changing clothes there, your mother felt that the possibility of you getting caught if someone walks past your door would be a good deterrent.”

“It wasn’t just me; you agreed as well,” Holly frowned.

“I am sorry, poor choice of words. I was giving you credit for the idea,” Dad was stony-faced. He was clearly uncomfortable delivering this punishment to us. He didn’t have any of it written down, so it almost felt like he was making it up as he went in no particular order.

“Do you want me to continue, dear? This is uncomfortable for you,” Holly said.

Dad said it would be fine for her to continue where he left off and took a sip of water.

“We don’t think you need to be in your room during the day, so you are forbidden from going into your room until bedtime. We expect you to be up and READY to work at six in the morning. If I am coming in there to wake you up, then you will be in trouble. You’ll be waiting in the living room and ready to go at 5:55am if you know what is best for you, bright-eyed and bushy tailed.

“If I or your father are away, we will leave the list of chores with Ethan, and he can give them to you. If nobody is awake, you’ll wait there until someone is. You are NOT to knock on our doors and wake us up unless there is an emergency.”

Just the mention of Ethan being involved filled me with an existential dread.

“I want things done a certain particular way, and I haven’t been trying to micromanage you girls. I believe everything is in its place and a place for everything. I will stay home from work tomorrow to observe and supervise you two. That way, you will understand what I am expecting. Time off from work costs us money we don’t have to spare, but it is an investment in you that sets you up for success. If you do things the way I want, then good things will happen; if you don’t, then you will do them over. Got it?”

We nodded. It was all reasonable, and my parents were being diligent about making sure that they left nothing out when they told us their expectations.

“A ‘Yes, Ma’am’ would be appreciated when I am talking to you about a serious matter,” Holly said, so we repeated that back to her. “I was raised to know that was a sign of respect, and it’s fallen out of favor. I think you two lack respect for me, so I’d like you to start using it with me and your father. You will address him as Sir when he tells you something, so we know you are listening.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” I replied, and my sister followed suit.

“Good, some minor details, and then we’ll get to the punishment.” She said it like it was not that big of a deal to be punished and more of a formality.

I thought the restriction WAS the punishment, but now it sounded like it may be a separate thing.

“Diet, I want you to finish your plates. You eat after you finish serving the table. You can take all you want, but you will eat all you take.”

My mom’s instruction sounded like something she would have told us even if we weren’t on restriction.

“I also don’t ever want to see either of you bending over at the waist. I don’t care if Ethan or Nick aren’t there. If I can see your bottom hole, I am going to put a strap on it. If you are going to be naked or fully dressed, I will want you bending like ladies. Do you understand me?”

As crude as my mother’s instruction sounded, there was nothing sinister or sadistic about that rule. It was in our best interest to keep whatever dignity we could cling to if we were going to be nude. I never thought much about bending over in jeans, but now that I was naked, I would be extra careful and not to give anyone a clear view of my most intimate parts. I really don’t think Joy minded who looked at her while she was bending over, whether she was dressed or not. She probably enjoyed the attention. This new rule might be hardest for her, but it was for the best.

I answered, “Yes, Ma’am.”

Today, I noticed that I could sometimes see my sister’s sphincter peeking out between her cheeks when she walked around naked because of how she swayed her hips as she walked, causing her butt cheeks to slap together. It had been almost comical to watch her running in the snow because Joy wasn’t about modesty; she let it all hang out and hauled ass.

In retrospect, the nude run had been fun. It was a complete departure from the Mary Christmas that acted like a stick in the mud. It wasn’t worth the hot water we were in now and the loss of our family’s washing machine and dryer. I kept thinking about our big smiles at the start of the run when we were laughing and darting behind trees along the highway line. I could see why someone might get a charge from the excitement and do something like that just for the thrill of it.

I was still self-conscious about being nude at all, but now more so about what will happen when I am walking around, and natural jiggle exposes some really intimate part of me. I was thankful I had thick pubic hair. At first, it felt embarrassing to have a thick bush, but at least my pussy flaps weren’t wide open like my sister’s. She had only a wisp of blonde pubic hair at the top, above where her pussy began.

The only natural defense she had from prying eyes was that when she stood certain ways with her legs close together, her thighs were so thick that all anyone could see was a hint of her pussy and the blonde pubic hair. It would have made me feel even more vulnerable and naked to have almost no pubic hair at all.

“Hygiene,” Holly’s eyes laser-focused on my pubic hair. It was admittedly a thick patch of bushy black hair. “You will be working hard, so sweat and dirty fingernails might be normal during working hours, but when you are not working, I expect hair to be clean, teeth brushed, skin clean, nails clean, and legs shaved. Joy’s makeup is inappropriate for a girl so young, so there will be NO makeup while you are on restriction. Once you are off restriction, we will talk about what is appropriate for your age.”

I heard an audible gasp from my sister. Holly seemed pleased to get that reaction.

“I am talking to Mary because Joy is okay, but I will give you a razor and scissors, and I want you to shave your lady hair tonight. It is unkempt, unseemly, and frankly a distraction. I didn’t want to have this discussion in front of Ethan and Nick. There are some things they don’t need to know, but I think it is important they know I also expect young men to take care of themselves.”

I couldn’t believe she wanted me to shave! And, she talked about it in front of everyone. I was shaggy, but gosh, pointing it out in front of the entire family was a fresh scoop of embarrassment piled on.

“I know you boys have just been really patient and super calm about everything, and we appreciate that. I was worried about how you’d react, but you’ve just shown yourselves to be good young men.”

Utter hogwash. Now, I was getting sick to my stomach. The boys had played this perfectly. They acted disinterested. All they had to do was be quiet and let my parents heap praise on them. I wasn’t going to escalate things with my brothers and get revenge—at least not right away. They would probably want to bait Joy and I into trying something, only to make things worse for us. I would still have my revenge one day. It would probably just have to be after we got off restriction. I wouldn’t forget, and I wouldn’t forgive what both of them did today. I just had to bide my time and put up with them having the upper hand.

“We know there aren’t many kids around the area to play with, but should you make a friend. Obviously, you can’t just bring them home if the girls are going to be naked.”

That was good, at least.

“I understand, Mom,” Ethan smiled. “I would call first and make sure it’s okay!”

“No, I mean, you can’t bring anyone over. There is no calling me first. I can’t let you bring over boys your age to see the girls like this.”

“I don’t mean to be disrespectful, but you said that they could wear clothes when appropriate. Surely, they could put some on while we have some friends over to visit?”

There were no kids around for miles! We looked when we first got here.

“Ethan, I’ll take questions at the end, but if your father and I are not here, then you can’t have anyone over, period, end of discussion. We are putting you in charge when we aren’t here, and I need you to ensure that no one invites anyone over, ESPECIALLY the girls. I am not above placing you on restriction. What is good for the goose is good for the gander!”

“How can I do that, Mom? They won’t listen to me!”

“Ethan, as I said,” Holly was sharp with her son. I liked seeing that. She usually doted on Ethan, and he seemed like her golden boy who could do no wrong. “I was hoping to hold questions to the end, but since you asked, we realize that. We took into consideration that the girls can be willful, and we feel that they will listen because they know what’s coming if they don’t.”

“We may as well talk about what happens when we aren’t home,” Dad said and offered to explain it to the rest of us.